LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Father Peter G. Young for his 50 years
in the ministry, to be celebrated on May 24, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to bring full recogni-
tion and just tribute to those men and women of religious commitment who
accept the responsibility of moral leadership and render the wisdom of
human understanding; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Father Peter G. Young for his 50 years in the ministry; and
WHEREAS, Father Peter G. Young will be honored on Sunday, May 24,
2009, at a 50th Anniversary Mass at Mother Teresa Community, formerly
Our Lady Help of Christians Church, located on Second Avenue in Albany,
New York; and
WHEREAS, Father Peter G. Young began his ministry as a young parish
priest in one of Albany's poorest neighborhoods; in the late 1950s, when
he worked as Chaplain of the Albany County Jail, and later in the 1970s,
as Chaplain at the Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility, he adopted the
philosophy that would guide his life's work; and
WHEREAS, Father Peter G. Young is the Founder and Volunteer Chief
Executive Officer of Peter Young Housing, Industries and Treatment
(PYHIT) and its subsidiary organizations, his statewide network of
treatment, housing and education/employment programs; the avowed mission
of PYHIT is to create taxpayers and provide the dignity that comes with
a meaningful job and paycheck; and
WHEREAS, "Rehabilitate, don't incarcerate!" is the blueprint Father
Peter G. Young followed during the 50 years that he spent helping indi-
viduals struggling to stay out of prison and free themselves from
addiction; and
WHEREAS, Using the Albany area as a home base, Father Young has helped
thousands of people reclaim their lives and look forward to futures by
means of his "glide path" philosophy; the "glide path" has three compo-
nents: recovery, housing, and jobs; and
WHEREAS, Like a pilot who lands his plane on an aircraft carrier by
following a glide path, critical direction comes from the support team
at PYHIT; PYHIT is the glide path for those dealing with addictions to
become employed, tax-paying citizens with careers, families, friend-
ships, and futures; and
WHEREAS, A pioneer in alcohol treatment Father Young developed the
first alcohol crisis center and extended care unit in New York State; he
founded the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment Program within the
Department of Corrections and this program, which provided a place to
live, job training and therapy, has served as a model for treatment
across the state and country; and
WHEREAS, The effectiveness of Father Young's vocational program is
based on his "Three Legged Stool" approach which includes treatment,
training and placement provided by Altamont Program, Inc.; this program
has resulted in a four-year-graduate recidivism rate of less than 10
percent; and
WHEREAS, Father Young's programs also make proficient use of his
"Wounded Healer" philosophy based on the belief that those who have
succeeded in recovery can best extend their hand to the next person and
help them begin the process; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his duties as a parish priest and pastor,
Father Young has taught in high school, served as a chaplain for various
associations and in the prison system, founded dozens of organizations
involved with treatment, housing shelters, and recovery services; in

2001, he was ranked number two in the Top Ten New Yorkers Survey as
conducted by EMPIRE STATE REPORT; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of Siena College, Father Young attended St. Bona-
venture College for five years of study leading to his ordination as a
priest; currently he is privileged to serve the Mother Teresa Community
in Albany; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when a person
of such noble aims and accomplishments is brought to our attention, it
is appropriate to publicly and jubilantly proclaim and commend that
individual for the edification of others; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Father Peter G. Young for his 50 years in the ministry; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Father Peter G. Young.